It’s a bit hard to “go green” while living in an apartment, let alone university housing, but there are still a few things we can do. This Green Retrofit Checklist has a few possibilities, including the newly hip compact fluorescent light bulbs that produce less heat and use less energy. (Keep in mind that changing five of the most frequently used bulbs in a home can save $100/year.) Another option is green cleaning supplies, from dish soap to laundry detergent to bathroom cleaner. These are non-toxic, biodegradable, and made from renewable resources (aka no oil). Fairway and Whole Foods have lots of options, including Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s, but home-made cleaning supplies can be just as effective. There are a million recipes out there for all-purpose cleansers, anybody have favorite recipes?

Click here for more great ideas about green cleaning from National Geographic.

This American Life, public radio’s (unarguably) best show, tackled the subject of testosterone in their February 22nd show (found here; it’s episode 220). The show has 4 acts: first, a man whose body stopped producing testosterone for about 4 months talks about how his perceptions changed; second, a transgender male speaks about his experiences, both BT (before testosterone) and AT (take a guess); third, the producers of the show, host Ira Glass, and contributers Sarah Vowell and David Rakoff (an excellent essayist and a Columbia grad to boot) have their testosterone levels measured to see if they could correctly rank the individuals based on personality traits; fourth, a teenage boy is interviewed by his mom on what his masculinity means to him (the only lamentable part of the show; since he’s a teenage boy, most of his answers are either “I don’t know” or “yeah”).

NYTimes Magazine has an article about True Love Revolution, the student group at Harvard which promotes abstinence. Filled with valuing women based on their status as a virgins, railings against safe sex (criminal, really), and cringe-worthy and laughable quotes (such as “There is no condom for the heart”).

SelectPlan for Women is a new program that provides free annual exams, free birth control and free HIV and STD testing for qualifying Pennsylvania women aged 18 – 44. Ask for details about this exciting new coverage when you are in a Center or scheduling an appointment.

EARTH HOUR is 8pm-9pm this Saturday, March 29! There’s a CU group on facebook and/or you can sign up at www.earthhour.org which also has lots more information about the event.

From that website:
On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.